CL ASSROOM GUIDE

978-1-4521-6281-2 * $19.99 HC
978-1-4521-6293-5 * $12.99 E-book
Ages 5 to 8 * F&P Text Level Gradient: Q
Lexile® Measure: NC800L

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

ABOUT THE BOOK
The Statue of Liberty was conceived many years
ago in the late 1800s, but its meaning—of unity,
of welcome, of acceptance—has never been more
relevant than today.
This teacher guide contains pre-reading
discussion questions, research activities,
and creative projects that are applicable
to a variety of curricula.

This moving and profound book, a companion to This

Bridge Will Not Be Gray, tells the story of one of the
most significant architectural triumphs in the world:
the Statue of Liberty. It’s a story that begins with
one man’s idea for the statue and continues through
its creation on both sides of the Atlantic as a team
of visionaries join hands to build this monument to
freedom. It’s a story of humanity. A story of inclusion.
A story of taking risks, of welcoming immigrants, of
action and courage.

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 CL ASSROOM GUIDE

BEFORE READING
PICTURE THIS
Instruct students to visit the websites for the National Park Service (www.nps.gov) and the National Archives
(www.archives.gov) to look for archival photographs of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and immigration documents.
Using the following worksheet created by the National Archives, have each student analyze one of the photos they
find:
https://www.archives.gov/files/education/lessons/worksheets/photo_analysis_worksheet.pdf
As part of their analysis, students should answer the following:

• What type of photo is it (portrait, event, selfie, etc.)?

• Describe what is pictured in the photo (people, objects, activities).
• What can be learned from the photo? (E.G., who took the photo, where is it from, what is happening?)

Extension activity: Challenge your students to write a short story inspired by an archival photograph they find.

ACTUAL SIZE
French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty to be a colossus. To convey a sense of the size
of the statue, share some of the following measurements with students to help them understand the dimensions. Start
with ones that are easier to show, such as the width of the mouth or the distance between the eyes. Then have students
determine a unit of measurement scaled to the actual dimensions of the statue. For example, one-eighth of an inch might
equal one foot. Have them explore various units of measurement and create a model of the statue’s hand or head using a
scale they create.

• Height from base to torch: 151'1"

• Pedestal foundation to tip of torch: 305'1"
• Heel to top of head: 111'1"
• Length of hand: 16'5"
• Index finger: 8'
• Head from chin to cranium: 17'3"
• Width of head: 10'
• Distance across the eyes: 2'6"
• Length of nose: 4'6"
• Length of right arm: 42'
• Width of right arm: 12'
• Length of sandal: 25’ (U.S. women's shoe size: 879)
• Width of waist: 35'
• Width of mouth: 3’
• Length of tablet: 23'7"
• Width of tablet: 13'7"
• Thickness of tablet: 2’
• Ground to top of pedestal: 154’

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 CL ASSROOM GUIDE

TIMELINE OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

Instruct students to use information from Her Right Foot alongside additional research to create a timeline that
includes the following plot points:
• The year Bartholdi was hired to design a statue for the United States
• The year the statue was completed in France
• The year the statue arrived in New York Harbor
• The year the Statue of Liberty was dedicated
• The year Statue of Liberty became part of a national monument

As a follow-up activity, have students compute the following based on the timeline:
• The difference in number of years between the date Bartholdi was hired and the date the statue was completed
• The difference between the date the statue was completed and the date it arrived in New York Harbor
• The difference between the date the statue arrived in New York Harbor and the date it was dedicated
• The difference between the date when the statue was dedicated and the date when it became a national
monument
Discuss any surprises that arise from the timeline.

CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION PROJECT

Visual literacy skills are integral for today’s students. Challenge students to interpret a text-only excerpt from Her Right
Foot and create their own illustrations for the passage. Ask them to identify the key moments and images in the text that
they would like to include in their illustrations. After reading the book, have students compare their original illustrations
with those of Shawn Harris.

Then, share the illustrations with other children across the country. Take a photo of the illustrations and post on Twitter or
Instagram (if your profile is public) with the hashtag #HerRightFoot. If you prefer not to post on social media, you may
share your students’ projects by scanning or take a photo of the illustration(s). Alternatively you can mail a copy of the
illustration to:
Dave Eggers, c/o Chronicle Books, 680 Second St., San Francisco, CA 94107

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AFTER READING
THE SYMBOLS OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
A symbol is an object that is used to represent something else. Lady Liberty is a symbol that signifies hope and freedom.
However, the Statue of Liberty also features many other symbols, such as the seven spikes on the crown which represent
the seven continents and seas, or the torch which functions as a symbol of enlightenment. Have students discuss other
symbols featured on the Statue of Liberty, such as:

• Lady Liberty’s robe

• Windows in the crown
• Lady Liberty’s right foot
• Broken chains at Lady Liberty’s feet
• Lady Liberty’s sandals
• Tablet/book Lady Liberty is holding
• Writing on the tablet
• Shape of the tablet
• Pedestal (13 layers of granite)
• Shields on each side of the pedestal

Distribute photocopies of an image of the Statue of Liberty. Have students label the symbols on the Statue of Liberty and
write down each symbol’s meaning.

WHO AM I?
Many people were involved in the design, creation, and funding of the Statue of Liberty. Instruct students to select one
of the following names and conduct research about who the person was and the role they played in helping realize the
creation of Statue of Liberty:

• Edouard de Laboulaye
• Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
• Gustav Eiffel
• Emma Lazarus
• Richard Morris Hunt
• Joseph Pulitzer
• Thomas Edison
• Grover Cleveland

Have each student present their information to the class speaking from the point-of-view of the individual they researched.

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LADY LIBERTY AND IMMIGRANTS

Between 1886 and 1924, almost 14 million immigrants entered the United States through New York via Ellis Island. The
Statue of Liberty was a reassuring sign to these people that they had arrived in America. Today, even though Ellis Island is
no longer an active immigration center, the Statue of Liberty continues to serve as a symbol of freedom for those coming
to the United States from other countries.

After reading Her Right Foot, discuss with students the portion of the book that focuses on immigration. Then show the
class the below photograph of immigrants looking at the Statue of Liberty. Ask students to ponder who these people are
and what they are looking at.

Next have students generate between three and five reasons why someone might leave their home and come to
America. Tell students that years ago immigrants were limited in the number of personal items they could bring with
them on the boat. Ask students to list the five items they would bring with them if they were immigrating to this
country. Finally, ask students to select one item in particular and write about its significance in their life and why they
would choose to bring it.

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FOUND POEM
In 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote a sonnet called “The New Colossus” that was donated to an auction in order to raise
money to build the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. The lines of the poem were later inscribed on a bronze plaque located in
the museum on Liberty Island. Read and discuss Lazarus’s poem. Ask students if they’ve heard any lines from the poem
before, and to share their thoughts about the poem’s meaning.

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
—Emma Lazarus (November 2, 1883)

Next, have students create their own poem using words and phrases from Her Right Foot. Reread the book and ask
students to identify any words or phrases they find interesting or especially descriptive of the Statue of Liberty. Write
these on chart paper. At the conclusion of the book, revisit the words and phrases and have students discuss whether they
want to keep or eliminate any of them. Remind them to keep in mind that the words should relate to each other or focus
on one aspect of the Statue of Liberty. Read through the words that remain and then arrange them so that they make a
rhythm. The words could be spaced out so that they are all alone or theycouldallruntogether.
OR key words or phrases could be
put
on lines
by themselves.

The poem may even be stacked so that it is tall or shaped like the Statue of Liberty. Certain words could be emphasized
by making them bold or using italics, different sizes, or colors. Finally, have students determine how they want to present
the poem to the class—read by one individual, in unison, or performed as a piece of reader’s theater.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

Shawn Harris is an artist and musician

Dave Eggers is the author of many books,
who lives and works in Morongo
including This Bridge Will Not Be Gray, The
Valley, California. This is his first book.
Circle, and A Hologram for the King. He
is the cofounder of: Voice of Witness,an
oral-history series focused on human-rights
crises; 826 National, a network of writing
and tutoring centers; and ScholarMatch,
uthor
which connects donors and under-resourced d o u t h o w to invite an a
F in
ol or library!
students to make college possible. to your scho orvisit
h ro n ic le b o o ks.com/auth
c

This guide was prepared by Cyndi Giorgis,

Find out how to invite an author
educator and researcher. She is the
to your school or library!
dean of the College of Education at the
chroniclebooks.com/authorvisit
University of Texas at El Paso.

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